Heaven Will Wait
by Maiden-of-Vincent
Summary: Originally entitled 'Love Will Find A Way'. I changed the title 'coz it sounds too corny, and it has something to do with the plot. Changed the genre too, 'coz it's not even that angsty. R/R ok? 4/27/08 - I'll be posting Chap.4 soon!
1. Chapter 1: In Which I Agree To A Promise

Hi!!!! I'm back! And sorry to the ones who had read and reviewed 'Ironic'. This isn't the story based on that one-shot fic, though this is still a Vincent x Tifa. How I love the couple. Two angst-ridden souls trying to find the love that they thought were meant for them. Awww…anyway, be sure to review this fic after you read. It would really make me happy if you do so. So let's get on with this fic, shall we? I hope you won't get bored. I'm still learning.

Heaven Will Wait

Chapter 1: In Which I Agree To A Promise

…I think I'm beginning to understand…

…what…

…an answer from the Planet…

…the Promised Land…

…I think I can meet her there…

…Let's go meet her…

"Tifa? Hey, wake up…" a disembodied voice pierced through my dream and my sleep.

"Mmm…3 more minutes…" At this, I turned my back on whoever was talking to me and covered my face with a pillow. I heard the speaker sigh in exasperation, and suddenly, the pillow was gone.

"Tifa. If we don't open up soon, the people will have to kick the door down eventually," I finally recognized the awfully worried female voice. Yuffie. I opened my eyes and looked at her. Hard. Wishing she'd melt and leave me alone.

"Tell them I'm sick…" I muttered and lay on my stomach, then I felt for the remaining pillow and buried my head in it. The bed creaked slightly, telling me that Yuffie didn't melt, didn't leave, and didn't give up easily.

"That excuse again? You are so pathetic."

"So what are you suggesting?" I asked through the pillow.

"That you heave your skinny ass up and tell the customers personally that you're asleep." God, the kid was definitely turning into Cid Highwind's daughter. Equally blasphemous, equally annoying, and equally dumb. I did partly take her advice, though. I did heave my 'skinny ass' up, and wrestled Yuffie down the floor. We must've been making a lot of noise, for suddenly, the door to my room opened again, and horror of horrors! Cid barged in and looked lewdly from one female to another.

"Hey, a lesbian show!!! Look, hey Vincent! Yeah, I'm f^@%$&* talking to you, you m*&%@rfØ€≠∞r!!! I told you Tifa was lesbian! Look at her hump Yuffie!"

"Okay, that's it!!! No more free hard drinks for you, you freeloadin' bastard!!!" I rolled off Yuffie and chased Cid out of the room and around the house until I finally caught up with him and beat him up to a useless pulp.

Nine years have passed since the Meteor incident, and life has been pretty much peaceful ever since. The people in the slums who had survived Meteor settled in Kalm and went on living and hoping for a better life. Barret returned there to 'Take care o' my Marlene' and we hadn't heard from him again, not even once. Red XIII went back to Cosmo Canyon and settled peacefully with the other elders. He visits us once in a while, though. Cait Sith…he just disappeared. Probably went back to its owner, Reeve, but we can't be too sure. Yuffie had once seen the fluffy stuffed cat on the outskirts of Nibelheim, chasing butterflies on the field. I know it sounds too…odd, but hey, Yuffie said it was just a glimpse. She wasn't too sure if it really WAS the Cait Sith we knew or…just some other demented guy wearing a mascot and chasing butterflies around the field. 

Vincent, Cid and Yuffie settled in Nibelheim with me and helped me put up another 'Seventh Heaven'. What a crew. I know. A cigarette-loving astronaut-wannabe freak who loves cursing, a feisty ninja thief, a cold and silent ex-Turk, and a busty female bartender who happens to be me. Well, what can I say? I needed company. Yuffie didn't want to go back to 'That dang old fart of a man', as she usually called his father, and agreed to live with me in Nibelheim. Cid returned to Rocket Town to talk to Shera, then begged, I mean, requested that I take him in and live, well, put up with him in Nibelheim, but he visits his hometown once in a while. Vincent…well, I asked him to live with us, since he had nowhere else to go. He agreed, reluctantly. I knew that he was still hurting from Lucrecia, and that living near the Nibelheim mansion reminded him of memories he'd rather forget, but so far, I hadn't heard of even one word from him that has to do with 'nightmares', 'atoning for sins', 'Lucrecia', 'Hojo', and such. Or he's just so withdrawn.

So, yeah, that's pretty much it. But aren't I forgetting someone?

"Table 5's ordering the Special for today. 10 of them. Don't ask why. Fat boy's sitting in it." Yuffie whispered harshly in my ear, breaking my train of thought.

"H-huh? Oh, okay. Coming right up!" I said cheerfully as I disappeared to the kitchens. The new 'Seventh Heaven' is still like the same bar I ran in Midgar, with just a few exceptions. For starters, this particular tavern becomes a famous restaurant in the morning and a drinking bar at night. Secondly, I have helpers to keep the business running. I serve as the place's cook in the morning and a bartender in the evening. Yuffie eagerly took the job of being a waitress in the morning, and more eagerly as a cashier in the evening. Cid took the job of being a waiter at day, and a comedian at night. Vincent was the only one who didn't do bartending or waited at anyone, but in one way or another, he draws people to eat and be merry here, particularly women. I don't know how he does it, considering that his looks alone could scare the toughest guy to his crap, but females just swoon at the sight of him. They would barge in and try to look for 'Joe', or 'Charles', or 'Steve', or some other name that Vincent invented for himself whenever they try to ask for it, for a hefty sum of money. 'It keeps women customers in check,' he once explained to me as I saw an advancing armada of women heading straight for the restaurant-bar once.

"Tifa!!! More customers!" Yuffie shouted at the counter, with a tinge of helplessness in her voice.

"I'm coming!" I shouted back as I ran behind the counter to take the newcomers' orders.

So to put it simply, this place never ran out of customers. And a good thing too, for the business kept my head from thinking of someone who I'd rather forget but can't.

The day passed slowly, and still we were pretty hectic, as locals or tourists came and went. Once or twice I almost felt like I might pass out at the sight of numerous people sitting and chatting, waiting to be served. Vincent must've sensed my present condition; he offered to help me in back, although I knew from experience that he can't cook very well, and washed the dishes. He never learned to wash the dishes too, if I may add, so, as much as he struggled to do it right, he kept spilling wash water all over the floor, on the walls, and on me.

"Vincent! That's the third time! Be more careful!" I reprimanded as I felt the soapy water soak itself in my clothes.

"I'm trying…" he sputtered as he tried to dodge a streak of water that dared to splash itself on his already-wet hair. I sighed frustratedly as I turned around to tell him off not to play with wash water, but the words never came out of my mouth as soon as I saw him struggling to hold a plate with his clawed hand. I tried hard to keep myself from laughing, all in vain as I saw his face contorted in dismay. The plate slipped from his grasp and splashed wash water over him. It was then I noticed that he was dripping wet all over.

"Tee hee…" I covered my mouth with both my hands as some of the near-convulsive laughter I tried to hold back escaped my lips. Vincent looked up at me and frowned.

"Oh, go on. You're going to kill yourself holding back." He whirled around and fumed silently.

"No-hahahaha-offense meant, -ahahaha-but — AHHHHH!!!" As I tried to walk towards him, I slipped over a puddle of soapy water I had not seen before and landed on my back. _Oh, go on, Vincent, you've got the last laugh…_a voice inside my head shouted in shame. I thought he was trying not to laugh, but when I looked at him, I saw not amusement, but concern and worry. _That's nice…in a way…_I mean, what am I thinking?!?

"You okay?" he asked as he ran toward me.

"Watch out!!!" I screamed a second too late. He slipped on the same puddle and landed on…me.

"Owww…"

"Oh! I'm sorry, Tifa…" he tried to get up, only to crush me with his weight as he struggled to free his leg from a piece of rope that got entangled in it.

"Ow! Don't move…"

"Sorry." Our eyes met, and oddly enough, we both laughed at the same time for no reason at all. _I wish it had been you…_I found myself thinking. Now where did that come from?

"Hey, you guys!" I had no time to ponder what I had thought as Cid and Yuffie entered the kitchen.

"Holy huge materia!!! In a godd*#%n public place!!! And I thought you were gay!" Cid hollered at a beet-red Vincent.

"Can…can I stand up now?" I asked awkwardly at Vincent.

"Huh? Wha—OH! Sorry," he stood up immediately and helped me up my feet. Yuffie said nothing as she went back to her job, but Cid had to be kicked and thrown a bucket of soapy lemon water to make him go away. We went back to our usual jobs like nothing ever happened, and went on like that until evening.

That evening, I took a stroll around the town while Cid and Yuffie finished up on the bar. I had not seen Vincent anywhere, so I thought that he probably turned in earlier than usual. I stopped near the well and looked at it, remembering the 2 children and the promise.

"Cloud…I wonder where you are now…" I mumbled under my breath as I sat on the same wooden planks little Tifa had sat on that starry night. I looked at the place where little Cloud had waited patiently, and I just had to smile wistfully as our childish conversation echoed in my ears.

_"I'm going to be the best there is, just like Sephiroth." _Little Cloud proclaimed proudly, I remember.

_"Sephiroth…the Great Sephiroth?" _I sounded amazed then. I had longed for a friend that has strength that could rival the Great Sephiroth and could protect anyone…everyone. Little did I know that by the time Cloud had that strength, he'd be so far away that I'd doubt he even knew me.

_"If I'm ever in trouble, my hero will come and rescue me…I want to experience that at least once…"_ I didn't know what came over me as I said those words…those words he had promised, and he had thrown away that…and a lot of other memories as soon as he joined SOLDIER. He sacrificed everything…just to become like Him…the Great Sephiroth. Tears stung my eyes as the realization that he'd never come back hit me. I looked at the starry sky like I used to do when I was lonely.

"I miss him so much…" I murmured sadly as tears flowed down my cheeks. The wind sighed behind me. Or was it someone? I wiped away the tears on my face and listened. Nothing.

"I must be dreaming…" I mumbled and went back to reminiscing happy times. The temperature got colder, the wind blew fiercely and the leaves of the trees rustled as time passed. And the wind behind me sighed for the second time. I looked at the direction where I had heard the sound. I did a double take as I saw a part of a hand. As I drew closer I noticed that it was a man. His long black hair was tied back in a ponytail, and he was sighing incessantly.

"Lucrecia…"

Huh? The man wore a black turtleneck and jeans. It couldn't be him…or could it be?

"Vincent?" I asked cautiously, wishing I'm just mistaken. The man looked up and I saw his glowing red eyes. He just smiled sadly and turned his back on me.

"Vincent…it's almost midnight. Why are you still here?" I asked as I took a seat beside him.

"…" He didn't speak. _He's recoiling into his shell again…_I thought. We were silent as we sat beside each other. For the first time, I didn't have any idea what to say. I was always the person who kept the conversation going, but right now…

"The stars are bright today," Vincent spoke up, probably to break the ice.

"Yeah. What do you think does it mean?"

He shrugged. "Maybe something we'd never expect." I laughed and he glanced at me. _I wish it had been you…_I found myself thinking. Again. I looked skyward and changed the subject.

"I wish it's always this peaceful…I wish I could forget everything…I wish I could find and be with my hero…forever…" I unconsciously blurted out. Vincent spoke again. It was a clear voice, solemn but soothing.

"That's your dream? To find your hero?" I just nodded, thinking of Cloud. _Will I ever meet him again?_

Vincent stood up. "Tell you what. Let's make a promise." My head shot up as I heard that word. Promise. _In this place? Again? _Vincent was smiling kindly down at me_. Like a guardian angel with black hair…_

"If ever we get separated, we'll wait for each other…in this place…in this well."

"What?"

"If we ever leave this place to fulfill our dreams, we'd return here and wait for each other once we get what we wanted." I laughed at the excitement etched in his face, and nodded.

"I promise." He took my hand and we both looked at the sky for the last time.

"I think we'd better go back. I don't want to see Yuffie worried sick." I said after a while. He just nodded and we went back to our home, hand in hand, our thoughts full of wishing that somehow, we could just forget our worries and live happily ever after, just like in fairy tales.

But life had never been a fairy tale, and would never be.

Author's Notes: Thanks to those who read AND reviewed this. I really appreciate it. If you're thinking, "Whatever happened to Cloud?", well, it's the same story as what happened to Cloud in other fics, but in mine, it will be explained in the next chapter (that one being Vincent's POV). And another thing, if you get confused with the POVs, try to remember this: chapters that have a title that starts with 'In Which' is in Tifa's POV. One-word titles are in Vincent's POV. I hope you get it. Thanks to Chaotic Chaos for helping me out on this one (Strife is a better writer, that's why I think Ironic is better than this, I don't know, only you can say what's better). Thanks also to my friends who kept on encouraging me to write more, and thanks to you readers and reviewers, you're the ones who keep other writers going. Thanks a lot!!!


	2. Chapter 2: Arrival

Hey!!!! I'm back!!!! And I've updated!!! Thanks to you guys who reviewed this fic, namely:

**Fudgieangel**: Actually, you are one of those girls. I'm another. The point is, I put them there because I'm sure every female Vincent fan wants to be in a fic with him. I just don't know all of you Vincent fans out there, so I just created this group. So there! Hope you're all happy.

**Jenza1202**: I'm glad I could help. I also get insane when I hear the word 'exams', 'school', and 'flunked'. ^_^

**Ice-Angel**: I'm not really good at portraying FFVII characters, so Cid tends to be rather unlikeable here. But don't worry, I'll try to make him as Cid-like as possible, okay?

**Volk Zyta**: Thanks for the compliment! I'm glad you like this chappie, and thanks too for agreeing to help me with the FFVII save file!!!

**Random V/T Fan**: Why the sudden onslaught? Because people are starting to realize that Tifa and Vincent are the greatest pair!!! Or maybe because they're sick of CloudxAeris pairings? Hoo boy, life is just so surprising…

**Ah-choo**: Hey, thanks for appreciating the plot. And thanks for reviewing too!

**chem.**: Yeah, I'm so glad at myself too for not abandoning this fic! Thanks for reading and reviewing. I'm so glad you like it. Again, thanks!!!

**r3@d3r**: Thanks for…uh…analyzing this chapter.

**DarkAngel**: I didn't think you'd like the VinTifa scenes…tee hee. I promise I'm going to make more to keep you all happy, okay?

Man, I love you guys. **sniff sniff** I feel so loved…(stops to wipe imaginary tears from eyes.) Anyway, I'll stop dilly-dallying now and continue on to my next chappie. Don't forget to review, okay? You guys keep me so sane-ish. Hehe…

**Heaven Will Wait**

Chapter 2: Arrival

"Hey, lovebirds!!! How's the early honeymoon, eh?" Cid greeted us as soon as we set foot in Tifa's bar.

"…"

"Oh, how dare you say such a thing?!" Tifa pouted and placed her hands on her hips. She was red to the scalp, and I felt like smiling if only Cid wasn't looking at me. Cid just shrugged and turned his back on us.

"Lucky bastard…" He muttered as he went up the stairs to his room. Silence filled the bar as we were left to ourselves.

"…"

"You're pretty silent. What are you thinking?" I jumped as she spoke to me. I looked at her and got lost in those wine-colored orbs…wine…rage…blood…courage…passion…love…lust… I suddenly felt the sudden urge to kiss those eyes…and lips…and I would've done it if Tifa didn't conveniently interrupt my thoughts.

"Hey, Vincent. You okay?" she asked, her eyes tinged with worry.

"H-huh? Oh, um, yeah, I'm just fine. Why do you ask?"

She smiled shyly and lowered her head to hide the fact that she's blushing. "Oh, nothing."

"Maybe you should get some sleep. You look pretty tired already."

"But —!"

"No buts. I'll close down the bar and do the last-minute checkup for you." And at this, I left her standing in the middle of the room and went to the kitchen to check if all the dishes were washed. I heard footsteps and thought that Tifa had gone upstairs. When I saw that nothing was amiss, I went back to lock the door, and I got surprised when I saw Tifa standing in the middle of the staircase.

"Hey."

"Hey," I replied back. "I thought I told you to go to sleep."

"You did. I…I forgot to say good night." I laughed and continued to lock the door. "Good night."

"Sweet dreams," I answered while I moved on to arrange the chairs that Cid and Yuffie had missed.

"…um, Vincent?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for caring." I was supposed to ask her what she meant, but when I turned around, Tifa was gone.

Thud. Thud.

"Mmm…go away."

Thud. Thud. Someone was knocking on my door.

"Hey, Vincent! It's time to open 'Seventh Heaven'. Wake up!" It was Cid. When I made no sound, he opened the door and pulled back the curtains. Sunlight filled the room, and I got blinded.

"Argh! Cid! Turn off the lights!" I managed to croak out as I tried to shield my eyes.

"Stand up or I'll sing," Cid threatened. I made no move to stand up.

"Rise and shiiiiiiiiine! Breakfast is reaaaaadyyyyyy!" he sang at the top of his lungs.

"All right, all right. I'm up already! Hey, stop it!" There's nothing scarier than Cid singing in the morning just to wake you up. I struggled to free myself from the sea of blankets and hurried to stand up before he could open his mouth again.

"Okay, I'm up. Are you happy now?" I growled, oblivious of my state of undress, and oblivious of Cid's eyes that were looking at my chest. He whistled.

"Nice muscles. Can I touch them?" I felt myself blushing furiously out of embarrassment.

"Get out!" I screamed and hurled my pillows at him to make him go away.

Breakfast was pretty much the same: Yuffie and Cid ate as much as they could possibly eat and bickered at each other in between bites; I tried my best to ignore them and focused on finishing my food; Tifa laughed at Cid and Yuffie while trying to talk to me. But something was wrong with her; I noticed that she was less enthusiastic than usual. Plus, she was slightly pale.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked when Cid engaged in a swearing contest with Yuffie.

"What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Yeah, I'm fine…" she mumbled, looking at me, then disturbingly, through me. I wasn't so convinced, so I kept an eye on her when we finally let the customers in. Unfortunately, it was pretty hard for me to monitor her actions since as soon as the restaurant opened, a group of women, old and new faces alike, barged in and surrounded me, like they always do.

"Hey, hottie, want a beer? I could get you one, if you like. What's your name, by the way?" Hoo boy, here we go again. The endless, "What's-his-name" argument. Even if it wasn't starting yet, I was already feeling extremely sick.

"His name's Steven." One pimply girl sighed dreamily.

"No, it's not. He assured me yesterday his name was Dion!" Another, this time a blonde, retorted. Okay, breathe in, breathe out. Calm down, concentrate on your mounting headache. Mind over matter.

"That's not even. His name's Arsenio."

"He's not even Spanish. Are you sure you heard that right?"

"Good heavens, he's too handsome to be named like that!"

"Seriously, am I the only girl here who knows his name? It's Justin!!!" A brunette, who looked like a stuck-up spoiled woman, drew all the other customer's attention to her as she stood up at a nearby table and declared 'my name' like it was a solution to poverty.

"Oh, my head…" I muttered under my breath as I rested my head in my hands and massaged my temples.

"It's Matthias!"

"No way! He told me his name was Andrew!"

"That's such a lowly name for such a gorgeous guy!!!"

"It's Joshua!"

"You're just making things up, girl. Go play with your dolls at home. This talk is for mature women only."

"You dare call me a girl?!"

"Make it stop…I can't stand another minute…" I moaned. And again, for the nth time, I wondered how I endured all this for nine years.

"It's James!"

"No, Caleb!"

"Jonathan!"

"Nathaniel!"

"Please…I can't take it anymore…none of this…help…" I moaned even louder, but they never heard me, because they all started screaming at each other. I tried to stand up and staggered at the pain in my head. The women were not paying attention to me anymore, sans one. That female grabbed me from behind and pulled me back down on my chair.

"Air…I…I can't breathe…" I vaguely heard myself saying. My head was thrown back and my eyes were rolling. The room was spinning…noisy and spinning…Then, I heard a familiar voice telling me to stop. Or maybe telling the noise to stop.

"Hey, you okay? You look as if you were having a seizure back there." It was Cid. Annoying as he may be sometimes, he can be a real bear.

"Uh…yeah. I'll be all right…" I mumbled shakily. Dazed and confused, I tried to stand up again. I might've fallen down if Cid didn't support me. He dragged me to another table and made me comfortable.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. I wonder what's happening to both of you, but you sure need to relax," Cid said.

"Both?" Even though my head was still spinning, I can still understand what Cid was saying. Well, sort of.

"You and Tifa. She's not her usual self today." So he noticed. I rested my head on the back of the chair and sighed wearily.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have ladies to attend to." He winked at me and trotted off to the group of women who were still screaming their heads off.

"Now, ladies. There is a more exciting way of learning the young man's name. We'll make this like an auction. The highest bidder will get to know this guy's name and other personal data. Will that be fine with you all?" I heard him say. The women cheered loudly and started to flock around Cid.

"Here. It's something I've learned to make back in Wutai." I hadn't noticed Yuffie walk towards me. She gave me a cup of warm green liquid of some sort. I looked at it warily, not forgetting the other time she made me black coffee mixed with black ink. I had a hard time removing the ink from my teeth for a month.

"How can I be sure you didn't put anything else in it?"

"Just drink it. It's green tea. It'll soothe your nerves," she explained with much sincerity. I took another look at the cup, then drank it all up. It was a bit sweet. As soon as she saw me relaxing, she grabbed the empty cup without another word.

"…no more bids?" My eyes went back to Cid. I wonder how he's faring with the girls?

"30,000!" Whoa. I can't believe they're THIS desperate just to know my real name.

"35,000!" Wow. Citizens of Nibelheim sure are wealthy.

"1,000,000." The stuck-up girl who stood up at a bar table stated calmly. Silence filled the room as we tried to absorb all that she said. Even Cid's mouth was hanging open, his usual cigar forgotten at his feet.

"Well? I can't stand here all day, you know." At this, Cid regained his composure.

"Uhurm. Okay, highest bid is a million gil. Is there any more bids higher than a million? No? Going once, going twice…going to the brunette at that table!" Some clapped, some grumbled, and all the other girls walked out sulking. Cid draped an arm around the winner and led her outside. I hope he wouldn't really tell her who I am…

"This day really sucks, you know that?" Yuffie complained as she plopped down on a nearby chair.

"Yeah. Everything's totally out-of-control."

"I was just wondering. Could this get any worse?" Before I could even open my mouth to reply, the sound of breaking plates erupted from the kitchen. I stood up and ran as fast as I could there.

"Tifa, are you all…right?" The sound died from my lips as I saw a pale Tifa standing in the middle of the kitchen. She had that faraway look in her eyes, and a hundred broken plates lay at her feet. Her hands were still bent as if it were still carrying the plates. It was then I got scared. It was the first time I've seen her like this, and it's not a good sight. I carefully picked my way to her and shook her shoulders.

"Tifa, snap out of it. What is wrong with you?!?" I demanded.

"Mmm…h-huh? What happened? Why are —OH NO! The plates…the plates are broken!" she cried out dismally and knelt to gather all the broken pieces of china. I pulled her up again before she could cut herself.

"Maybe you should go take a rest for a while. We'll take it from here."

"B-but…the food…everything…"

"There's nothing we can't handle. Cid, can you take her upstairs?" I asked the older guy. He just nodded and carried Tifa out of the kitchen. I sighed wearily and grabbed a broom.

"I'll do the cooking," Yuffie blurted out and started yanking condiments and stuff from the cupboards. When I finished cleaning the floor, Yuffie gave me the order pad, a pencil, and the food she had just cooked.

"This is for the couple at Table 4. Don't spill the coffee. And tell Cid to wash the dishes!" she added as she pushed me out the kitchen. I just sighed again and walked towards what I thought was Table 4.

"How's the restaurant going?" Tifa asked as she went down the flight of stairs. It was afternoon already, and there were only a few customers left. I had sat down to rest for a minute, for I felt really tired. I looked at Tifa.

"Pretty fine. Are you okay now?" I asked as she took a seat beside me.

"Yeah. I didn't get enough sleep last night. So, did you manage to feed all our customers?" I nodded.

"Yuffie was great back at the kitchen. I guess she was too preoccupied to sneak laxatives in the food."

"How about Cid? And what did you do?" she asked again.

"Cid almost made a disaster when he tried to help Yuffie with the cooking."

"Disaster? What disaster?" Tifa demanded, alarmed.

"He tried to make sour cream and onion ice cream. Fortunately, we stopped him before he could serve it to anyone. We told him to wash the dishes instead. I waited on the customers, if you want to know." Tifa smiled, and I felt like I melted.

"I guess it's time that I get back to my work, huh?" she stood up and stretched, then she went behind the counter and started putting up bottles and glasses.

Evening passed by smoothly, and before we knew it, we were clearing tables, washing the dishes, locking the door, and saying good night. Cid almost fell asleep at the stairs, the bag of 1,000,000 gil clutched in his hand. Tifa kicked him rather roughly (she got a bit angry when we told her about the auction that morning) to wake him up. Yuffie got in bed that night without stealing any money from our cash box out of exhaustion. I was pretty tired myself, so when I got to my own room, I didn't bother removing my working apron and immediately fell asleep.

Thud. Thud.

"Mmm…who's there?" I rubbed my eyes and looked at the open window. The midnight sky and the stars greeted back at me.

Thud. Thud. There it goes again. It sounded like it came from the front door. I slid out of my bed and removed the apron that I left on when I slept. I carefully went down the stairs and peeked at the hole in the door. All I saw was spiky blonde hair. _No…it can't be…_

Thud. Thud.

"Who's there?" I lowered my voice so as not to wake up the others.

"It's me. Cloud." I gasped. _He can't be Cloud…_Well, one thing's for certain. I opened the door and looked at the lean figure behind it. No doubt. It was Cloud. He was back.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed as I pulled him inside. I took his traveling cloak and hung it on the rack beside the door.

"I came to see Tifa," he answered coolly. The nerve of him…

"Can you wait until tomorrow? She's asleep."

"No. I have to talk to her now." Okay, okay. Geez…

"Wait here. I'll send her down." I gritted my teeth. I don't know why, but somehow, for some reason, his presence made my blood boil.

"No. I'll talk to her upstairs."

"You don't live here. Stay. I'll send her down," I snapped back and glared at him, then ran quietly upstairs. When I got in front of her room, I hesitated to knock. _She's tired…damn him. Of all the days he could show up, why choose now? When I'm already having a great time living with other people?_ After thinking for 10 minutes or so, I decided to knock.

"Tifa?" No answer. I knocked again, then I opened the door to her room. She was sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face. _She's so beautiful…_I shook my head. Before I could think of something else, I shook her gently.

"Hey, Tifa. Wake up."

"Mmm…hmm?" Tifa opened one bleary eye and looked at me.

"It's Cloud."

"You're not Cloud." Argh. Nice going, Valentine.

"I mean, Cloud's here." At this, she sat up immediately and took my hand. It took all my energy to stay passive.

"He's downstairs. I know you want to talk to him." At this, I looked away. Her expression was enough to make me go berserk.

"Cloud? Here? This late?" she asked dubiously as we both looked at the wall clock. It read 1:00 AM.

"Yes, yes, and yes. He's waiting downstairs," I reminded her again.

"Oh my." She immediately grabbed her robe and practically ran down the stairs. I stayed behind.

Nine years have passed since the Meteor phenomenon, nine years have passed since Cloud went away to search for Aeris, and this was the third time he visited…for the last nine years, so it was pretty much of a big deal. Well, for Tifa, anyway. Cloud only returned twice before to stock up on necessities and check up on her and on us, but he never demanded to 'speak to Tifa' until now. I wonder what's up? I yawned as I seated myself at the topmost stair and looked from Tifa to the blonde muscled figure sitting in one of the chairs of the bar. I saw Tifa consciously smooth out any stray strands from her hair, then breathed deeply.

"Hey." Cloud greeted.

"Found Aeris yet?"

"No…" he replied sadly. _Get to the point, you bastard…_I found myself thinking.

"You're still going away, then?" Tifa asked nonchalantly, as if his presence disturbed the peace around the place. Well, he did, in fact.

"…"

"So…are you just gonna sit around there? Don't you want anything?" Tifa asked again, in a tone which I knew was faking impatience as she went around the counter and fixed the countless bottles lined up at the cabinet. Cloud stood up and sat at the counter.

"Give me something hard," he muttered.

"Mmm…OH! Right…" Tifa jumped and reached up to get a bottle from the upper part of the cabinet where she kept the hard drinks. "Like old times…" she mumbled to herself.

"Yeah. Like old times…" he agreed. She laughed rather nervously in front of him.

"So, you're going to spend the night here?" Tifa asked hopefully. Too hopefully. I narrowed my eyes at them both.

"Yeah…" Cloud looked outside the window into the starry sky, and Tifa looked like she was going to kiss him then and there.

"What brings you back here anyway? Ran out of items?" Tifa asked again. Cloud looked down into his drink.

"I haven't found her yet, but one night, I dreamt of her."

"Oh." Tifa's face fell, and I felt like killing Cloud. God, I can't believe the guy's so dense!

"She was so beautiful, as usual…" he continued. I watched Tifa. Her eyes were close to tears, but she kept her face emotionless.

"Really? What did she say? That she'll stop running away from you and finally show up after all these years?" she snapped, her voice dripping with sarcasm, but still her face hid her disappointment. Cloud sighed.

"I…heard her voice…telling me to come back…to you," he answered. I grasped the banister to keep myself from falling down the stairs. I looked at Tifa to see how she reacted. She didn't move. I sighed in relief. _I guess she got over him…_

"Oh, Cloud…" Tifa ran over to where Cloud was standing and gave him a hug. _I guess I spoke too soon…_I stood up slowly and closed my bedroom door behind me when I got there. I climbed down through the window and made my way towards the Nibelheim mansion. Once I got there, I revisited the basement. I hadn't been here for nine years…nine years of freedom…and now I'm back to face the past…the truth…the reality…Who was I kidding when I thought that maybe Cloud would never return to her? Tifa was right. He would come back…for her. Damn it all…just when I was starting to fall in love with Tifa Lockheart…

Author's Notes: Gasp!!! What's do you think is happening to Tifa, hmm? *wink wink* *poke poke* *hint hint* Mwahahaha…Is there something I 'forgot' to write? Well, you'll have to find out in the next chapter, which is Tifa's POV again. Man, how I hate Cloud!!! He would've been the perfect protagonist, but no, he chose to have a flaw! And that's being so dense, not just to Tifa, but to Aeris as well. Damn him…he's such a hottie, though…but he could never measure up to the Great Sephiroth, or to the Great Vincent!!! All hail the 2 bish!!! Okay, I admit, I'm on a sugar high right now. I'll let you take over now. Review! Review!!! Thankies to my friends, and to those who bothered to read and review this!!!


	3. Chapter 3: In Which It Rains

Hey, thanks for reviewing, guys! Sorry if it took weeks for me to update. I told you I'm not really good at portraying FFVII characters! I noticed that they're not what they really were now (that's why I need to have quality time with my FFVII game so I could go deeper into the characters' traits). Anyway, Chaotic Chaos wants to say a few words. Here it is:

Dear readers:

            Thank you for appreciating 'Heaven Will Wait', a group effort of Maiden-of-Vincent and me, Chaotic Chaos. We have noticed that almost all of you observed the OOCness of the FFVII characters. All we can say is: we try to make this fic as realistic as possible, so as much as would like to keep them in character, we also have to consider other things, like the period of time. Many things can happen in a span of nine years, and you know that change is inevitable. Another thing is everyone's character alters depending on the environment that he/she's living in. That's no theory; you know it's a fact. And if you're thinking, 'why the fuck do you need to make your fics as realistic as possible!?!', well, we can say that it's just our style. So now that I've cleared things a bit much, I hope you understand. I'll leave you now to read and enjoy the next chapter.

Okay, now that that has been said and done, let's move on to the reviewers:

**chem**: Yeah, I'm thinking of the same thing too…thanks for appreciating my writing style! You're one of the people who're encouraging me to update faster! Thankies!!!

**Fudgieangel**: I know, but it's really necessary because they still have more problems to encounter, and they just won't have time to think about their feelings for each other now.

**Angel of Silence**: I don't want to believe it either, but Chaotic Chaos insisted; she wants people to get really angry at Cloud.

**Distance**: Yeah. Blondes are really dumb. Thank heavens I'm not one of them.

**r3@d3r**: Like Chaotic Chaos said earlier, change is inevitable. Vincent changed. Everyone changed. They want to forget the past. I hope you understand. BTW, didn't you read my bio? I'm a Filipina, and I'm just 16. English doesn't come naturally to me, and I'm not really good at grammar. But I'm good at spelling    
'8;D. Anyway, thanks for pointing things out!

**Random V/T Fan**: Well, if you try to read something yaoi, you'll be robbed of sleep AND sanity. Until now, I still wonder why some people prefer same sex relationships?

**Ice-Angel**: Yeah, she did, and for a reason too, but I won't tell why.

**Mimi Blossoms Aeris 15**: Yeah…poor Vincent. And you guys just wait…I'm gonna make Tifa and Vincent suffer!!! Hahahahahaaaaa….*cough* *cough*

**Volk Zyta**: One thing you should remember when you're reading my fics: **Expect the unexpected. **Anyway, thanks for reviewing. I really appreciate it. Your reviews inspire me to write!!! Thank you!!!!

**Heaven Will Wait**

Chapter 3: In Which It Rains

…I think I'm beginning to understand…

…what…

…an answer from the Planet…

…the Promised Land…

…I think I can meet her there…

…Let's go meet her…

[Tifa…]

_H-huh?_ I blinked, and suddenly, I wasn't in the Crater anymore. Cloud was nowhere in sight, and I was standing firmly on practically nothing and not hanging precariously on a ledge. I looked around, but I saw nothing but a dark void that stretched everywhere. I ran…and ran…and ran, but it felt like I didn't go anywhere at all. Then someone whispered my name again.

[Tifa…]

_W-who are you? Where are you? Where am I? What am I doing here?_ I shouted at the direction I presumed the voice came. I heard footsteps, then it stopped. I thought it was trying to find me, so I yelled once more.

_Who are you?_ Then suddenly, a gust of wind knocked me face down. I pushed myself up and froze as I came face to face with a man. His face was hidden by the shadows, but I glimpsed chilling blue-green eyes and long silver hair. I suddenly had this feeling that I knew him before.

_Do I know you?_

[No. But I know you.] He replied. Even his voice sounded alarmingly familiar.

_Who are you?_ I asked for the third time.

[I'm a seraph.]

_A what?_

[A seraph. An angel. Your angel.] I shook my head. It doesn't make any sense. Heck, NOTHING made sense.

_What do you want from me?_

[I have come to save you from all the pain that you're feeling right now.] He said it like it was his duty. Or maybe it was.

_Well, I certainly don't feel any pain right now, so if you'll excuse me, I have friends to find_, I said malevolently and pushed him aside.

[Maybe not physically, but what about emotionally? Cloud is still thinking of the dead Ancient.]

I stopped walking away and turned to look at him. How did he know Cloud? I didn't mention anyone to him, did I? The seraph laughed a mirthless laugh and stepped forward.

[I told you. I'm your angel. I know you're deluding yourself that Cloud could love you like he had loved Aeris. You know it's not true. You know you don't have any chances…especially to a woman who is long dead.]

_That is not true!_ Okay, he had hit the mark. He had whacked me with the truth I painfully ignored for the past nine years. I backed away.

[You see? You're trying to convince yourself. He will never let go. His emotional weakness will consume him until he is nothing but a soulless body.]

_No…_I covered my mouth with my hands. I suddenly felt weak…so weak that I sat obligingly on the floor, or what I thought was a floor. He walked forward and knelt beside me. His breath was cold…like his eyes, his smile, his whole being. Is he really a seraph?

[Take my hand. I'll show you something.] he offered a hand. I hesitated and looked into his eyes. He looked back, not blinking. Its intensity made me glance away, and took his hand. He stood up and pulled me to my feet.

[I will take care of you here.] I heard him say before I realized we were someplace else. I gasped.

_This place…is this the Promised Land?!?_ He just nodded. Before I could take one more step, I heard another voice…the voice of a female…

Tifa! 

Who was that?!

**Tifa!**

Where is that coming from?

Ti— 

"…fa…!"

I opened my eyes. Yuffie's worried face loomed above me. "Oh Yuffie, it's you. Good morning."

"Thank goodness you woke up!" Yuffie replied as she gave a sigh of relief.

"Why? What's the matter?"

"Since you didn't come down for breakfast and it's getting so late, I began to worry and came to check on you. I found you still sleeping, and your face was so pale. I thought you were…" She didn't finish her sentence. I sat up and laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"When did you ever think like that? You sound just like my mother!" I managed to say before I dissolved into hysterical laughter. Surprisingly, Yuffie didn't join in and just scowled at me.

"Why didn't you tell me Cloud came? I had to babysit him since Cid went out to buy groceries and Vincent was simply gone," she cried out. That made me stop laughing in an instant.

"Oh my. I-I forgot that Cloud slept here the night before." Yuffie snickered.

"You've been bawling over him for nine years, and now that he's back, all you can say is, 'Oh my. I forgot all about Cloud.'? Wh—hey, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly as I tried to stand up and staggered. I smiled weakly and waved her away.

"I-I'm all right." But in reality, I had never felt so drained in my life until now. Must be work…maybe I shouldn't be so hard on myself.

"You dreamt about that man again, didn't you?" Yuffie mumbled as I reached for the door handle. I whirled around and looked at her.

"You were mumbling in your sleep when I came here. You dreamed about him again," she repeated. I looked away. For nine years, I had dreamed of being back there in the Crater, Cloud hanging on a ledge, his arm encircled around my waist. It always ended with me telling Cloud to go meet Aeris. But since yesterday, someone I didn't know appeared where the dream should have ended. I thought it would interest Yuffie since she knew all I dreamt about was us in the Crater and not some stranger, so I told her about it. Now I wish I never did.

"Yeah," I replied curtly.

"And? What happened?" Yuffie asked impatiently. I gave her an I-don't-want-to-talk-about-it-right-now look. She sighed and shook her head.

"Whatever. By the way, breakfast's waiting for you downstairs, along with a nuisance."

"Yuffie! Cloud's here for good, so be nice!" Yuffie's smug face turned to shock as she grabbed my shoulders and shook me hard.

"You can't let him stay!!! I can't stand living with a hopeless idiot under the same roof for the rest of my life! We'd go bankrupt and I'm gonna lose my job and this household won't hear other words than 'Aeris here, Aeris there, Aeris everywhere' for a while and I'm gonna go berserk and Cid's gonna go crazy and you'd try to pretend being that flower girl, staff and all and Vincent's gonna go more mental than he already is and Sephiroth's gonna rise from the dead and he'd go a-hunting for that idiot's head again and we'd play hide-and-seek-around-the-world again and we'd try to find that White Materia again and prevent that Black Materia again and you'd go save that idiot's skinny ass again and—!!!

"Okay, okay, I get your point. Stop shaking me already! You're making me dizzy," I cut in. Yuffie looked purple and she was breathing hard, but she released her viselike grip on my shoulders.

"I'm not *_pant pant_* finished *_huff wheeze_* talking yet!" But her looks told me that she was grateful for my stopping her.

"Okay, so go finish your never-ending speech at the breakfast table so I can listen to you. I'm really hungry. It's a good thing it's Sunday. No customers…" I sighed in relief as I dragged Yuffie downstairs and joined Cloud at the dining table.

After breakfast, Cid and Yuffie decided to go to Cosmo Canyon and visit Red XIII and the elders. I felt locked up in my own house and the place seemed lonely when they finally left. Vincent hadn't shown up yet, and Cloud was too busy looking outside the window to even pay me any attention. _Yuffie was right; Cloud IS really hopeless…_I couldn't stand another minute in the house, so I went out and out of Nibelheim as I trekked towards the brook near the town where I always go to when I wanted to think. When I got there, I took off my shoes and let the cool water lap at my legs as I sat comfortably on a low rock. And then I let myself run away with my thoughts.__

_Now that Cloud is back, I should feel happy, right? I mean, I'm going to be with my hero…but why do I feel anything but happy?_

_Did he really dream of Aeris? And what she had said…what does it mean, anyway?_

_And my dream…who was that guy? He says I don't know him, but why do I get the feeling that I met him somewhere before?_

_Would I be even be able to answer all these questions?_

"Hey." I jumped and looked at who was talking. Cloud was smiling behind me.

"Hey yourself," I laughed, and offered him a seat beside me. He took it gratefully and gazed far away. Man, I gotta talk or else we won't be talking all day!

"How did you know I was here?"

"I followed you." He what?!

 "I didn't even get to ask how you guys were doing these past few weeks," he added, sounding a bit hurt.

"Well, uh…everything's great! Yuffie knows how to cook now, and Cid finally understands how tedious buying groceries are. Vincent changed too. He's not the you-ignore-me-and-I'll-ignore-you-and-we'll-all-be-happy ex-Turk anymore. But he still doesn't know where he really belongs. He still thinks of Lucrecia once in a while…" Oddly, the mention of the woman made me feel like I was all alone. Maybe because I got used to Vincent sticking around and he's the only one who's there when I needed him…

"Tifa? Are you okay?" Cloud asked.

"H-huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine," I reassured him and gazed at the rather cloudy sky.

"Your dream…of Aeris…what exactly did she say?" I asked. Cloud stared at his boots.

"In my dream? She appeared at the Sleeping Forest…she told me that there was something wrong back in Nibelheim…and that I have to return to take care of you. That's all," Cloud shrugged and kicked a pebble in the water.

"…"

"What about you? How were you these past years?" he asked.

"Me? Well, I'm still the same Tifa who had been wishing to be with her hero forever…" I looked at Cloud and got lost in those forget-me-not blue eyes. And the next thing I knew, I was leaning over to kiss him…

BOOM!

Thunder reverberated through the still air, and we both jumped. I quickly stood up before I could do something more stupid. I was lucky that the thunder made me come back to my senses…and I was luckier still that Cloud didn't understand what I was going to do a while ago. Heck, he never does.

"Uh…maybe we should go back. It's gonna rain soon," I said as I turned my back on him and started walking towards the direction of Nibelheim. Cloud just nodded and followed quietly.

When we came back, Cid and Yuffie were back. They were sitting at the front porch when we arrived. But there was something wrong with the picture. Where was Vincent?

"Where's Vincent?" Cloud asked before I could even open my mouth. Yuffie's eyebrows shot up.

"When did you start caring for the guy?" Cloud just shrugged and went inside the house without waiting for an answer. I shook my head at Yuffie and looked expectantly at Cid.

"He hadn't returned. I checked his room. His bed had been slept in, but his cloak is gone. He never wore it again since Meteor, right? If he was going somewhere, he would surely tell us. He won't let us worry like this…we could search for him if you want," he answered.

"I'm going with you," I replied. Yuffie stepped in and pushed me inside the house.

"You're staying in there. I don't want to babysit that stupid idiot again." And so while Cid and Yuffie searched for Vincent, I was left inside the house with Cloud. But of course, I stayed as far away from him as possible.

"It's almost midnight…where the hell are those two?!" I asked worriedly as I wrung my hands and paced back and forth. I peered through the window for the hundredth time, then paced back and forth again.

"Hey, settle down. Those guys can take care of themselves, don't wo—speaking of the devil, they're here." Cloud announced and stood up to open the door. Only that I got there faster.

"Vin—? Where is he? You didn't find him?" I asked, disappointed. Cid shook his head and Yuffie dragged her body towards the dining table where I had placed food for three. Cloud and I already ate.

"Nope. We searched the town, even that spooky mansion near the mountain. We had been to the basement; one of those dusty coffins had handprints on it. We didn't see Vincent in it, though," Cid sat on a chair and sighed wearily.

"Where could have Vincent gone to?" I asked to myself. Waitaminute…near the mountain…

"Cid, did you search that ruined reactor in Mt. Nibel?" I asked hopefully. Please say no, please say no…

"Hey, now that you mentioned it, we never thought of checking it out. C'mon Yuffie, we're gonna go hiking," Cid exclaimed and stood up. Cloud stepped forward and forced him to sit again and shook his head.

"You're too tired to search. I'll go there," he offered and made a move to get his cloak when I gave him a hard kick on the back of his neck that rendered him unconscious. Cid and Yuffie stared in shock from the fallen man to me.

"And you're too unconscious to search. I'LL go there," I grinned smugly and snatched Cloud's cloak. When I was sure that Cloud would be out cold for a while, I went on my way alone.

I was halfway from the other side of the bridge when I got scared. I remembered the time when the ropes that supported the bridge snapped, flinging me and the others more than 10 feet below. I'm not scared that I may fall again and get hurt; I'm scared because I don't know where I'm going to fall in. I ran to the other side before the bridge decided to fall apart. The full moon glowed above me and let me see where I was going. When I got to the reactor, my heart sank. All I saw was ruin; Vincent wasn't there. I was about to turn back when I heard the sound of metal grinding against metal, and before I could look to see what was going on, I felt cold steel press itself on my throat.

"One move and you're dead, lady." A man growled.

"What good would it do to you if you kill me?" I taunted. I gasped as he pressed the blade further into my skin. He laughed…he laughed a rather familiar laugh.

"I get satisfaction, of course. And trust me, lady, you don't want to mess with me."

"I don't care if I die." I felt him loosen his grip on my waist, and then I brought my leg up and horse-kicked his groin. I heard my attacker cry out in pain. I grabbed the hand with the blade, twirled around and brought my knee up his stomach. He winced in pain, but retaliated as he tripped me. I fell hard on the ground and my hood slipped from my head. It was then I got a good look at my assailant.

"Vincent?!"

"T-Tifa?!" He sounded as surprised as I was. He offered a hand and helped me to my feet.

"I didn't know you were into swords now," I remarked as I looked at his hand that was holding the blade. He looked at it in disgust, then threw it not far away from him.

"I'm not. I saw it amongst the rubble. If you look closely, it's still in good condition…like it had never been exposed to moist, but it was buried really deep. It's Sephiroth's, I'll bet." He sat down on a rock and became silent. I walked to the sword and looked at it.

"A Masamune…it IS Sephiroth's. But what is this doing here?"

"I was wondering the same thing…I was actually on my way home with that when I sensed that someone was around." I knelt beside the weapon and studied it under the moonlight. Dried blood stained half of the steel, and I felt like touching the blade…I closed my eyes and slid my fingers on the smooth steel, feeling the cold weapon. Then silver hair, and chilling blue-green eyes flashed in my mind.

"Hey, Tifa." Vincent's cool voice brought me back to Earth.

"H-huh? What?"

"Cloud…is Cloud gone?"

"No. Actually, he's going to stay here for a while…maybe forever." I stood up and handed the sword over to Vincent and sat beside him.

"Oh…so you're halfway done with our promise," he mumbled with a hint of sadness. I looked at Vincent. He was frowning at the moon. _At this angle, he really looks like an angel…my angel…_I shook my head. MY angel?! Where in the world did I get that?

"Why are you here, anyway? Cid noticed that one of those coffins in the basement looked like it had been slept in recently. What's going on?" I asked. Vincent's frown intensified.

"I wanted to be alone for a while. We should go. It's going to rain soon." He changed the topic as he stood up and sighed.

"So what about your dream of finding your true love? Have you found her yet?" He didn't say anything. "Hey, Vincent! Did you hear—goodnessgraciousGodohmy!!!" I exclaimed as rain came down in torrents unexpectedly. I bolted upright and put my hood back on.

"C'mon. Before it gets worse," he muttered. I ran to Vincent and we made our way back, hand in hand.

All was pretty much easy until we got to the bridge. It was wobbling madly, and the howling wind made it worse. Rain was blown in our faces, making it hard to see where we were going. Nevertheless, Vincent made a move to cross it.

"Tifa, c'mon!!!" Vincent shouted at me. I looked doubtfully at the ropes but eventually stepped forward, and he followed behind. We were halfway to the other side when the wind blew my cloak away. Instinctively, I reached out to grab it again.

"Never mind that!!! The sooner we get across, the better!!!" Vincent shouted at me again. I nodded and stepped forward.

SNAP! The plank I stepped on split into two and I would have fallen down to my death if I hadn't grabbed one of the ropes.

"Tifa, grab my hand!" Vincent knelt around and stretched out a hand, but before I could hold onto it, the bridge finally gave way. I held on tight as we swung and collided with the wall. And then my wet hands slipped from the rope and before I knew it, I was falling down…until I felt an arm wind itself on my waist. I suddenly had the feeling that it was somehow the same from what had happened in the Crater.

"Are you okay?" Vincent shouted to me as I climbed on a plank. I didn't trust my voice and just nodded. I was pretty shaken up, but I eventually made it on hard ground. Rain was still falling down heavily, and I was soaking wet all over.

"G-g-g-glad w-we made i-it," I managed to say through chattering teeth. Vincent smiled at me and took off his cloak and draped it on my shoulders.

"I hope that will do," he said and slipped an arm on my waist. It felt kind of nice in a way…Vincent finally showed his softer side.

"I'm g-glad…glad that y-you've changed, Vincent…and I h-hope it would s-stay that way forever," I whispered before I lost consciousness in his arms.

Author's Notes: God, I'm so cruel…I didn't expect this chapter to be like this… Okay, so I hurried it, that's why it's kinda…uh…so-so. Sorry. As I said before, expect the unexpected. And keep that in mind, guys. And may I remind you that this is still Vin/Tifa. I'm just doing a small CloTi teaser to keep my CloTi fans happy. Anyway, thanks to all of you who waited patiently for this chapter, I hope you liked it. Reviews, reviews, please!!! And thanks again (Dunno why I can't stop saying thank you). I love you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	4. Intermission

Intermission

Phew.. It's been a long time!! I've been really busy so I wasn't able to upload the next chapters… This story is really old now.. I wrote it years before Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children was visualized by Squaresoft.. I still hope that you'll appreciate my work.. Read and review guys ok? I'll let you read the previous chapters first so that you'll know what the story so far was when I post Chapter 4 entitled "Threat". Maybe around next week.

Also, please please read and review my other "distilled" fic from Yanichiru, "Ironic". My creative juices needed inspiration from readers!! This might seem so much to ask for, but I really need to be motivated again.. I love you guys!!


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